


Mana Pool

by Mina Lightstar (ukefied)



Category: Breath of Fire II
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-19
Updated: 2011-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-15 18:39:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukefied/pseuds/Mina%20Lightstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katt has some strange ideas about AP recovery....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mana Pool

**Author's Note:**

> For Lily/bonnefois. Happy ... Christmas, or something.

At first, Ryu and Katt have trouble adjusting to each other. He has a steady, determined approach to fighting; she prefers to rush in, staff spinning wildly in any direction. The third time she pushes past him, taking the demonic flower he had targeted for herself, Ryu stifles a long-suffering sigh.

“Katt.”

She pulls the butt of her staff from the felled flora, and makes a face at the goo coating it. “Yeah, Ryu?”

“Maybe you should be conserving your energy.” As he says this, he’s preparing himself to cast Cure — for the fifth time.

“Why?” she wonders, wiping her weapon on the grass even as Ryu’s spell washes over her. “The quicker we do away with the enemies, the quicker we’ll get to where we’re going.”

“This isn’t —” Ryu pauses, momentarily lightheaded — using too much magic — before he can continue. “This isn’t like the tournament. Who knows when we’ll get to rest?” Katt’s swift fighting style served her well in the tournament, her strength and speed allowing her to whittle down her opponents before she tired. Out here, though, it’s endurance and stamina that eventually win out.

Katt shrugs. “I guess. You okay?” she adds, looking at him closely. “You look weird.”

“I’m okay,” he replies, and shakes it off. “Come on, we’ve got enough money, let’s go back to Coursair and grab some supplies.”

“Then what?” Katt wants to know. “Windia?”

“Yeah,” Ryu agrees, “Windia.”

They leave the Tag Woods, but it’s sundown now and the beasts that roam the plains are hunting. Katt continues to rely on unguarded offense and Ryu continues to try and make up the difference.  
He sort of wishes Rand had come with them.

The sixth ambush leaves both of them hunched over and gasping for breath. Katt slides down her staff to her knees and then fumbles for a Heal potion. Her face falls when she realizes they don’t have any left, and she gives him a plaintive look. Ryu casts Cure on Katt again, and that’s all he can manage. He sits down on the grass and buries his face in his hands.

“Ryu?” Katt asks. He gives some sort of grunt in reply. “What about you?”

“Can’t,” he says through his fingers. “Used too much magic.”

“I’m sorry.” Ryu has only known her a short while, but it’s strange to hear the young, boisterous bruiser sound apologetic. “That’s my fault. I should have been parrying more.”

Well, no use in being angry about things one couldn’t change. “It’s all right,” he says. “Just … just give me a few minutes to, you know, catch my breath.”

“Oh, hold on!” Even as she says so, Katt is crawling across the grass to sit in front of him. “I know what to do!”

Ryu looks up. “You know what—?!”

Katt silences him by pressing her lips against his, holding his cheeks with callused hands. He’s stunned enough that she is able to push her tongue past his lips, but she clearly hasn’t thought this far ahead. After a moment or so, she pulls away, looking mightily pleased with herself.

“So?” Her ears twitch excitedly.

Ryu inhales once, deeply. “I, uh.” He scratches the back of his head. “I don’t really think that’s how it works.”

“… Oh,” Katt demurs, crestfallen. “I heard that’s supposed to help, though. Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe it only works on girls.”

“Uh—”

“Well, let’s get you to town, then.” She helps him up with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

 _Please don’t,_ Ryu wills her. _That’s how we got here in the first place._

***

Nina makes things considerably easier. Ryu watches her lightning bolts rip through monsters, whistling quietly through his teeth. Once, he might have thought, _”How can such a nice young woman cast such deadly magic?”_ but that was before his ranger days, even, maybe — and now he mostly just thinks, _Glad I’m on this side._

“Wow, Nina!” Katt exclaims. She goes to inspect one beast’s blackened carcass, and complains loudly about the lack of coin to be found. “How are we supposed to buy armor with this?”

“We can’t afford armor,” Ryu mutters, not quite under his breath. “Not when we have to keep buying herbs.”

“‘S not my fault.” Katt is almost petulant, propping her staff against her shoulder and folding her arms. “We’d be fine if you could cast magic better.”

Ryu takes care to put a hefty amount of dryness in his voice. “Thanks.”

“Hmph.”

“Don’t squabble,” Nina bids them. “We’re all doing our best.”

Ryu turns back toward her, looking to apologize, and his eyes widen in surprise. “Are you all right?” Nina looks a little faint, and she appears none too steady on her feet. He recognizes the symptoms; Nina’s magic is not infinite, either, it would seem.

The winged mage gives him a tired smile. “I’m all right. I just need to rest a moment.” She glances at the dead creature. Its body still smokes a little. “I’ve drawn upon my mana pool too often, that’s all. I should be more careful.”

“Oh!” Katt pipes up, appearing at Nina’s shoulder. “I’ve got something to help with that!” Without preamble, she drops her weapon and reaches up to pull Nina within reach.

Ryu sighs. “Katt, that’s—” He stops, blinks at the display, and rubs his eyes tiredly. “Katt, that is _not how it works._ ”

Katt pulls back, releasing Nina’s shoulders and bending to pick up her fallen staff. “Feel better?” she asks eagerly.

Nina, for her part, doesn’t know what to say. A faint blush is dusted across her cheeks and her awkward stammering goes nowhere fast. “K-Katt, you mustn’t — that is, you simply cannot — you—”

“Did it help?” Katt presses. “I know I’ve heard it’s supposed to help.”

“From whom did you hear this?” Ryu asks wryly. When Katt glares at him, he only sighs and makes a point of inspecting his sword’s hilt.

Nina eventually finds her tongue. “N-no, Katt. I’m sorry, but your — kiss — didn’t help my mana pool. I’m sorry, but thank you for trying,” she adds hastily, in the wake of Katt’s disappointed look.

The girl makes a helpless gesture with one hand. “Well then, what _does_ that trick work on?”

Nina’s wings twitch. Ryu says, “Okay, Katt, before any more ‘tests,’ promise you’ll _ask_ first.”

“Why?” she wants to know, innocent in her curiosity.

Ryu opens his mouth, shuts it, and then starts walking. He’ll let Nina field that one.

 

~end


End file.
